I'm Torn, Deciding Which Portal To Use.

[Xarcell]

I've been bouncing around between:

Tinyportal = lightweight, consistent updates, great support community, seamless intergration, doesn't look good with most themes
.
MKportal = need the modules, [ user blog, reviews, downloads, image gallery ]. Forum doesn't intergrade as well as I'd like "theme-wise", sluggish.

Simpleportal = works with most themes, easy to manage, lack of support/features.

I have a hard time deciding which portal software to use. SMF is the only forum software I'd use. Problem is just getting a good portal to go with it. So far tinyportal is shaping up quite nicely, and I never knew bloc was gonna take it this far. That's why I never bothered before...

How much further are you want to go with this bloc? Are you gonna accept 3rd party blocks/modules for tinyportal? What standard blocks/modules are you trying to accomplish?

I hate to ask such silly questions, but I'm getting burned out on rebuilding my websites to get the features I'd like to have. I got too many time restraints...

I wanna go with tinyportal when 1.0 is released. However, not until recent weeks, blogging has become almost a necessity for myself and for the user of my communities. Especially posting by email/cell phone.

I'm not asking for a blog module here, I've already requested that. I'm just lost...

I dunno what to do!

I don't wanna use a outside blogging site and also have personal site. That looks like what I might end up doing, because I want TP soooo bad.

Any recommendations/suggestions?

-Xarcell, lost & frustrated.

[Xarcell]

I come up with an idea here:

http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?topic=1159.msg9521#msg9521

Blogger TP somewhat intergrated

[bloc]

I have to admit I am not so much into blogging..I can surely see it as a module, but I am not sure how to implement it.

Whats the main things a blog feature of a portal should do? In addition: as opposed to to dedicated blog scripts?

[Moocat]

bloc has already announced that there will be a download manager module, and has also thought about an arcade.

[Xarcell]

1.) The biggest thing for me about blogs is being able to post from my cell phone.  Cell phone pictures and text. Basically, the blog is set up to accept e-mails, which it's content is setup to be displayed or posted. Posts are catagorized and archived by month.

2.) Being able to subscribe to blogs. So you know when your friend has posted something new.

3.) Theme selection per user blog.

4.) Blogs are nothing more than public journals...

Most of these features are already supported by SMF, theme slection per board, profile, etc. There is a 3rd party module that accepts post by e-mail/cell phone. However a user can't create a blog or catagory board for themselves to post in or moderate.

I think smf features could easily be made into a blog, simliar to TP arctiles feature, but not without hard work to pull it off.

-Xarcell

[Ray]

will using a link like this help ??   http://www.rranderson.com/dvd/index.php?action=forum;wap2

of course put your web info in it

[Xarcell]

will using a link like this help ??   http://www.rranderson.com/dvd/index.php?action=forum;wap2

of course put your web info in it

I don't understand...

[Ray]

will using a link like this help ??ÂÃ,   http://www.rranderson.com/dvd/index.php?action=forum;wap2

of course put your web info in it

I don't understand...

Im sorry I thought you mostly needed a link that your phone could post messages with?

[iowamf]

I have to admit I am not so much into blogging..I can surely see it as a module, but I am not sure how to implement it.

Whats the main things a blog feature of a portal should do? In addition: as opposed to to dedicated blog scripts?

I'm coming from the other side ... more into blogging than forums.

The main feature where most portals/CMS trying to tie blogs, forums and content together fall short is their poor integration of userids between the blogs and the forums - hence, the need for all kinds of whacky "bridges".  Users should be able to have their own blog,  add comments to other blogs, create new posts in a forum, reply to posts in a forum - all using the same userid/permission system.

I don't see adding blog functionality as a module because your article system is almost there and the tie-in to SMF's user database is certainly there.  Also, I really think this portal needs rudimentary "blogging" as a standard feature or you're going to get bombarded with requests for it  :coolsmiley:

Most blogs have a header that describes a little bit about the blogger and then it lists their entries like a daily journal - at the end of each blog entry are links to comments. It's not like a forum where a user has to click on the topic to read it.  One member had a good idea of a blogger header at: http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?topic=1159.msg8959#msg8959 .

I can see your implementation dilemma if you haven't used blogs much ... perhaps if TinyPortal just starts out small with a minimalist blogging system it will become more obvious as you see how it gets used ... getting started is often the most difficult part.

For example, if there were two options under the "User Profile":

  - Submit an Article!
  - Submit a Blog Entry!

The "Submit an Article!" goes off to your existing submissions(x) queue waiting for approval/categorization just as you've implemented.

The "Submt a Blog Entry!" would be automatically approved and categorized to the SMF's user_id. Each blog entry could  be viewed at: $board_url/$member_name (sorry my SMF syntax is poor). The blogger would have full "moderation" abilities to articles (and comments) in their blog.

There would need to be a way for a reader to navigate the blogs - perhaps a "Blogs" link in the content (menu) block which goes to a page in the center of the portal that lists all the blogs, lists recently updated blogs and, ideally, each user could maintain a list of their favorite blogs and see if there are any updates to those.

  -> EDIT ... a "BLOGS" button after the "FORUM" button would be more intuitive.
      The FORUM button takes a user (even a guest) to the FORUM navigation section.
      A BLOGS button could take a user (even a guest) to the BLOG navigation section.

There would also need to be a way for a blogger to administrate their blog - perhaps a "BLOGADMIN" in their userprofile or a BLOGADMIN button at the top just like you have a "TPADMIN" button. The BLOGADMIN would let the blogger enable/disable comments, delete comments in their blog, edit their blog, edit their blog header, etc...

  -> EDIT ... a "MyBlog Admin" link in the "User" block right above the "PM: x" would work better.
       Since a blog is a personal journal, having it next to the PMs seems logical.
       Also, the ability to blog might be controlled similar to TPs ability to submit an article.

I know many don't like the idea of a separate comment system to articles - but I'm afraid that directing blog readers into the forums to comment on a blog entry is less than ideal and automatically starting a new topic to comment to a blog entry is even worse.  If a reader wants to go into the forums to start a new topic based on a blog entry - that's fine  - that's what *discussion* forums are for. 

  -> EDIT ... I think those who have done moderation will really like the idea of self-moderated blogs 

The comments to a blog entry should all be listed together in chronological order and be tied to the blog entry - if not, the comments are out of context and lose their meaning.   Also,  using the forum for comments to a blog entry could really be a permissions challenge - who would moderate that ... the blogger or the forum moderator? I think keeping comments to a blog OUT of the forums is a good idea as it wouldn't require the moderators to police blog comments - comments to a blog should be the responsibility of the blogger.

Of course, there could be numerous enhancements - but this would be a good start. Feel free to comment and/or PM for more.

Regards -

[Xarcell]

I was into forums fro years and not blogging, till I actually owned a blog. Now I can't imagine going through life without one. It's the best way for me to let my freinds know what's going on with me. I tried one out because I was trying to figure what the whole internet "blog craze" was all  about. At first I thought it was a waste, now I prefer a blog over forums unless I'm running a "help site" in which discussions are needed...

I pretty much agree with what "iowamf" said.

I think the best way to start a blog system, would just copy your articles system. Let user's start with getting thier own articles/blogs in wich they can moderate. All other blog features SMF already carries as a feature. Then create a block for it. "Lastest Blog Entries"...

EDIT: I recommend a "blog" button like "tpadmin" that takes you to a blog interface. With "edit blog", "blog Theme"(board theme), "blog Name", "catagories", or whatever else you'd want to put there.

Most of the work is cut out for you already, just making it work is teh hard part.